Stabilizer



June 28, Ab J LlppOLD 2,122,15@

STABILIZER Filed Jan. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY STABILIZER FiledJan. 9; 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IX A oo oooooooooo 0 BY lNvENT/(jjF a//QM/WM ATTORNEYS Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES ATENT GFFCE STABILIZERAdolpl J. Lippold, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner toCherry-BurrellCorporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ApplicationJanuary 9,

16 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in stabilizers.

The stabilizer to which this invention pertains has particularapplication to any device carried f by an adjustable standard. It is theprimary o'bject of the invention to provide a stabilizer which willpermit of adjustment of the standard without requiring any separateadjustment of the stabilizer, the stabilizer automatically remainingeffective in all adjustments of the standard to steady or brace thesupported part and to maintain it rigid upon the standard as Well as toprevent any relative non-axial movement between the member carried bythe standard and the base upon which the standard is mounted. Throughthe use of this invention a much lighter standard may be employed thanhas heretofore been feasible to use, while at the same time 4increasedrigidity is secured.

'I'he invention has particular application toA bottle filling apparatus,and I have selected ,a bottle filler as a means of disclosing andexemplifying the invention. The invention is, howevenapplicable toturret type machine-tools, hoists,vand an infinite number of othermechanisms in which an Vaxially adjustable part must be stabilized 'oribraced without interfering with its freedom of adjustable movement.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View partially in side elevation and partially in section,showing a bottle lling mechanism to which my invention is applied, theapplication of my invention being illustrated in relatively heavy lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View inaxial section. through a portion ofthe mechanism' shown in Fig. l to expose the bracing organization.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in transverse section taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Like parts are identied by the same reference characters throughout theseveral views.

The general organization of a conventional bottle filling machine willbe described very briey to provide a background for the more detaileddescription of the application of my invention thereto. Y

There is a base 4 upon which is journaled the hub 5 of a turntable 6,which may be rotated by means of the tubular shaft 1, sprocketwheelv,yanda suitablechain (not shown) rIhe turntable 6 carries an annularseries of bottle supports, two of which are illustrated at 9. Mountedabove the turntable to be rotated therewith, is the gravity ller tank I0having valved lling nozzles II suit-l ably registered with the supports9. 'The hub 1937, Serial No. 119,829

portion I2 of the tank I0 is sleeved on to the upper end of tubularshaft 'I and is provided with ears I5 to receive the axially 4extendingpins I6 by which the hub of the ller tank I2 is coupled in drivingconnection to the turntable 6 so that the turntable and tank will rotateas a unit.

, To accommodate different sizes of bottles, however, it is desirablethat the tank be vertically adjustable With reference to the turntable.The mounting of the hub I2 upon the tubular shaft 'I permits of suchadjustment, and so likewise does the engagement of the ears I5 upon thepins I6. The adjustment is elected by means of the rod I8 which extendsfrom hub I2 through the tubular shaft 1 into threaded engagement with anut I9 which, by means of gear 20, pinion 2|, and crank 22, may berotated by the operator to set the tank at any desired elevation.

Naturally a tank of the size of that shown at II) tends to be somewhattop heavy in overhanging its central support or standard. In the pastthe standard has been made very heavy in order to resist any tendency ofthe tank to tilt from its desired central position. The presentinvention seeks to render the tank rigid and entirely stable by bracingmeans which are automatically maintained under uniform tension in allpositions of vadjustment of the tank and during the adjustment thereofwithout requiring any separate manipulation.

I prefer to accomplish this objective through the use of one or moreexible tension members 25 which, for the purposes of the presentdisclosure, are illustrated as comprising chains. If resistance totilting in only one direction is required the number of such tensionmembers may be limited to one, so located that its tension will opposeany tendency of the parts to tilt. TWO

' members opposed in a given plane will provide stability only in thatplane. Three or more, at properly distributed points, will providecomplete stability. Four chains are used for the purposes of the presentdisclosure.

The inner end of each chain is secured to the head member 26 carried bythe rotatable tubular shaft or standard 'I upon which the parts areadjustable. So far as axial adjustment of the parts is concerned, thehead member 26 represents a fixed connection for the several iiexibletension members 25.

The other end of each of the flexible tension members 25 may beconnected to a rod 2'I threaded to receive a nut 28 engaged with 'ahousing element 29 xed in the turntable 6. While the nut is provided toadjust the tension members .25 to their desired initial stress (and alsoto take up any wear that may occur in the use of the apparatus), thisend of the chain 25 is also xed for all practical purposes during thenormal use of the device.

Intermediate its ends the flexible tension member 25 passes about twoguides which, for the purpose of the present disclosure, comprise thesprockets 35 and 3l. The sprockets 3D may conveniently be located withinthe hub l2 of the tank which is made to provide a housing. Sprockets 3lare housed within the members 33 secured to the bottom of the tank atpoints remote from the hub thereof and in axial alignment with thetubular housings 29 above referred to. Tubular housing elements 34 maybe used to complete the enclosure of the vertical flight 35 of thechain. Housing elements 34 are telescopic over vertical housing elements29.

The diagonal iiights 36 of the chains may be enclosed in tubularhousings 3l which are so coupledas to connect rigidly the hub I2 of thetank and the fittings 33 thereof.

Flights 38 of the respective chains are housed Within the hollow hub l2of the tank. It will of course be understood, however, that it is notnecessary to the broad concept of this invention that the chains orother iiexible tension members shall be housed at all.

Ignoring the provision for rotation, it will be apparent that theturntable 6 and the tank I0 comprise two members which are rectilinearlyadjustable with respect to each other, and which are rigidly bra-ced atpoints remote from the center line upon which the relative movementoccurs. The rigidity of the bracing afforded by the stabilizingapparatus is attributable to the fact that each of the tension membersis iixed to one of the relatively adjustable members at its ends andpasses about guides which are fixed with reference to the other of theadjustable members at points intermediate the ends of the chain or otherflexible tension element.

A study of Fig. 2 will make it apparent that each of the chains 25 willresist any separation of the outer portion of the tank from the baseunless the inner portion of the tank is separated from the base by alike amount. Thus each of the chains individually resists any tilting ofthe tank upon the standard in a direction which subjects the chain totension. If the standard carrieclA an unbalanced load always tending totilt in the same direction, one of the chains opposed to that load wouldbe suicient to oppose the tilting tendency and to maintain the load andthe column in their proper positions while permitting free axialadjustment.

In the device disclosed the load is normally centered and it is desiredto resist a tilting in any direction. Accordingly the several chains arespaced symmetrically about the tank. Since it isY true of each of thechains that the axial flights must vary in length identical but oppositeamounts before any motion of the tank is possible,it will be apparentthat this condition as to all of the chains can be satisfied only in thebodily axial movement of the tank with reference to the base and notilting of the tank is possible.

I claim:

l. The combination with a pair of relatively adjustable members and asupport upon which such adjustment is effected, one of said membersbeing in substantial balance on said support when unloaded ofstabilizing means for resisting the tilting of either member withrespect to the other while freely accommodating said adjustment, saidmeans comprising flights connecting said members at points fixed withreference to said members and of varying remoteness from said support,and a connecting element for simultaneously adjusting said nights whilemaintaining the Variations in length of said elements identical witheach other. f

2. The combination with a pair of relatively adjustable members and asupporting means upon which one of said members is adjustable insubstantial balance with reference to the other, of a tension elementconnected at both of its ends with one of saidmembers, one end of saidtension element havingits said connection adjacent said support and theother end of the said element being connected at a point remote fromsaid support, and the other of said members being provided with guideson fixed centers for the said element correspondingly located close toand remote from said support and about which said tension element passesintermediate the points of aflixation of its ends.

3. The combination with membersmovable to and from each other of anadjusting means extending between said members and with respect to whicha movable member is substantially symmetrical, one of said members beingprovided. with a plurality of centrally positioned anchorages andaplurality of other anchorages. located at points remote from the center,the other of said members being provided with a plurality of sets -ofguide means respectively centrally and remotely located, of tensileelements connected with the central anchorages, thence passing about therespective centrally located guide means, thence about the respectiveremotely located guide means, and thence extending to the respectiveremo-telylocated anchorage. l

4. The combination with co-axial members provided with means mountingsaid membersl .for

relative adjustment to and from each other along said axis, a tensionelement stabilizing one of said `members with reference tothe other anddisposed `substantially in a radial plane, said element having its lendsanchored to one of said members and having two ilights withrasubstantially axial component of direction and a connecting flight witha substantially radial ccmponent of direction, the other of saidmembers` having guides interveningbetween said flights and about whichthe said element extends on relatively opposite sides oi the guide,whereby said element moves clockwise about one guide andcounterclockwise about another in the adjustment of said members. ,l

5. The combination with a rst member provided With a column, of a secondmember adjust-` able axially of the column, anchorage means at pointsadjacent the column, a rotatable guide'provided with fixed axis ofrotation and carried by the second member for movement to and fromv theanchorage means in the adjustment of said meinbers, a second guidecarried by the second mem-l ber at a point radially remote from thecolumn, a second anchoragemeans carried by the rst member at a pointradially remote from the column, and a tension element connected at itsends with the respective anchorages and respectively passing about onthe alternate sides of the said first and ysecond guide intermediatethey said anchorage means, whereby to provide stabilizing bracesconcurrentlyfadjustable'in identical com'-,

ponents in the course of adjustment of said members.

6. The combination with a tubular column and a standard axiallyadjustable therein, of members connected respectively withsaid columnand standard, radially spaced anchorage means carried by said column andthe member connected therewith, radially spaced guides carried by theother of said members, and tension means terminally aflixed to saidanchorage means and extending over the respective guides between saidanchorage means.

'7. lrPhe combination with a first member and a second member, of acolumn carried by the first member, a standard supporting the secondmember and .adjustable in the column in the axial movement of saidmembers to and from each other, a central housing carried by the secondmember and provided adjacent said column with a peripherally positionedguide pivotally mounted for rotation, an anchorage carried by the columnat a point substantially tangential to the said guide, an anchoragecarried by the first member at a point radially remote from the column,an axially extending housing comprising telescopically related partsconnected with the respective members adjacent said last mentionedanchorage, a second rotatably mounted guide connected with the secondmember in line with said telescopically related parts, and a tensionelement connected with the respective anchorages and passing about therespective guides and enclosed in the respective housing.

8. The combination with rst and second mem-- bers and means mountingsaid members for relative axial movement to and from each other, of atension element spaced to one side of the said mounting means upon whichsaid members are adjustable, said element including two flightsextending in a general axial direction at radially remote points and aconnecting ight, said tension element being anchored at both of its endsto one of said members, the other of said members having guidesrotatable upon fixed centers intervening between said flights and overwhich said element passes between said anchorages.

9. In a device for the stabilizing of a pair of adjustable axiallyconnected members, a tension element anchored at its ends to one of saidmembers and passing about guide means ailixed to the other of saidmembers, said anchorages and guide means being disposed substantially ina plane which includes and extends radially from the axis connecting thesaid members, which axis would act as a pivot point for any tilting ofthe one member relative to the other.

10. In a device for the stabilizing of a pair of adjustable membersconnected for axial adjustment, a tension element. anchored at its endsto one of said members and passing about guide means aixed to the otherof said members, said tension element having two flights extending ingeneral axial direction and a connecting flight inclined respecting saiddirection, the said guides intervening between the said flights, andsaid flights passing about said guides in opposite directions ofclockwise and counterclockwise movement in the course of suchadjustment.

ll. In a device for the stabilizing of a pair of relatively movablemembers, means adjustably connecting the said members, a tension elementanchored at its ends to one of said members, and a pair of tensionelement guides affixed to the other of said members, said tensionelement being so passed about the guides that it is comprised of twoflights, whose axis is in the general direction of the relative movementof said members and av flight connecting the two opposite ends of saidother two flights, whereby as the members are adjusted, the length ofone flight is automatically increased or decreased in the adjustment ofsaid members in an amount equal to the relative movement of said membersand also equalling the decrease or increase respectively in the lengthof the other flight.

l2. The combination with a base and a member to be supported therefrom,of a centrally distively xed anchorages connected respectively with thecolumn and base, corresponding pairs of guides fixed with reference tosaid member at spacings such as to present surfaces in substantialalignment with the corresponding anchorages, and a set of flexibletension elements each having its ends connected with the anchorages of agiven set and extending below one of said guide means and overy anotherto provide two substantially parallel flights of inversely variablelength and an intervening ilight of fixed length, the severalintervening flights being disposed substantially radially with respectto the standard.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination with atelescopically adjustable base and standard, of a tank mounted on astandard, a hood connected with the standard and extending downwardlybeneath the tank, a plurality of anchorages peripherally spaced on thebase beneath the hood, guides carried by the hood in operative proximityto each oi said anchorages,

guides connected withthe tank at points radially remote from the firstmentioned guides and thereabove, inclined housing elements bracing thetank adjacent said second guides from the portions of the hood adjacentthe rst guides, a tension element connected with each anchorage andpassing about the adjacent rst guide and thence through the housingelement and about the second guide, and a second anchorage connectedwith the base to which each such tension element is attached, thedisposition of said anchorages and guides being such that each tensionelement will have two inversely variable flights substantially parallelto each other and to said standard and one intervening flight angularlyinclined and of fixed length.

14. The combination with a base, a support extending upwardly therefromand a supply tank provided with filler heads and mounted on said supportin normal balance thereon when unloaded, of receptacle `supports beneaththe respective ller heads for holding receptacles thereto for lling,means for adjusting said tank vertically upon said first mentionedsupport, and stabilizing means for accommodating such adjustment whileresisting the tilting of said tank with respect to said base, saidstabilizing means comprising flights connecting said base and tank atpoints fixed respectively with. reference to said base and tank and ofvarying remoteness from said rst mentioned support in a direction inwhich said tank is ,subject to unbalancing pressure, and a connectingelement for simultaneously adjusting said ilights while maintaining thevariations in the length of said flights identical with each other.

15. The combination with a telescopically eX- tensible supportcomprising a turntable provided with peripherally disposed carriers forreceptacles, of a supply tank mounted in normal balance on said supportand provided with peripherally disposed ller heads located above therespective carriers, and means for accommodating the telee scopicmovement of said tank on said support while preventing it from tiltingwith respect to said turntable, said means comprising a plurality ofcentrally positioned anchorages connected with said turntable, aplurality of remotely positioned anchorages connected with saidturntable, a corresponding number of guide means connected with saidtank and respectively centrally and remotely located, and tensileelements connected with the central anchorages, thence passing about therespective centrally located guide means, thence about the respectiveremotely located guide means, and thence extending to the respectiveremotely located anchorages.

16. The combination with a turntable member and a tank member and atelescopcally adjustable support centrally connecting said members, ofmeans upon which said members and support are unitarily rotatable, meansfor the actuation of said support for varying the spacing between saidtank and turntable members, receptacle carriers disposed adjacent theperiphery of the turntable member, filler heads correspondinglypositioned in the tank member above said carriers, and brace meansdisposed in substantially radial planes between said members, each saidbrace means comprising anchorages respectively located close to andremote from said support and connected to' the same member, and guidemeans correspondingly located close to and remote from said supportrespectively and both connected to the other of said members, and atensile element connected at its ends to the respective anchorages andpassing about the respective guide means whereby to provide flights ofvariable lengths between each anchorage and one of said guide means, thecombined llength of said flights being constant.

ADOLPH J. LIPPOLD.

